My Beginnings in the World of Real Estate
Welcome to my blog! It's a work in progress, so please stay with me while I get it together.
I started my journey in real estate when I purchased my first home in 1999. It was a three bedroom, one bath house that was approximately 912 square feet. I was very fortunate to have obtained this property through a lease with an option to buy, which is not very common in the current world of real estate. The house was not in an upscale neighborhood by any means, but it was a home that had recently been updated and provided my four children a place to live. My goal was to use that home as an investment to move to a safer neighborhood where my kids could play outside and have the opportunity to play sports in their schools.
In 2002, I experienced a crazy divorce that did not provide me with any financial assistance from my ex-husband. In 2004, I obtained my real estate license, while working full time as an assistant manager in a grocery store. Holding two full time jobs was a necessity, as I was the sole provider for my kids. Later that year we moved into a new home that had more than one bathroom, which was an absolute blessing.
2004 was a year that changed my life forever. Not only was I moving my children into a new home, I was promoted to store manager. Yet, that was not the biggest change in my life. After showing houses all day on a Saturday in October, I made a stop to grab a pizza for the kids. I was on my cell phone outside of Little Caesar's when I encountered a very friendly man that greeted me with a smile and a friendly, "Hello." We talked for a few minutes and I handed him my business card. I asked him for a referral and let him know that I would help him with a home purchase if he ever had the need. He said, "Sure," and asked if he could, "just call me sometime to talk." He called me that night and we talked for over three hours. That was the night God brought my amazing Jason into my life, and that's where our story began.
I share this story so you know when my real estate journey commenced. There's a lot more to it than this, and there are parts of my story that have filled my life with numerous challenges, while testing my resilience. The bottom line is to know that I do not give up when times are hard, and I work relentlessly in my real estate business to provide for my family and to change the lives of my clients. You have to start somewhere, and it's not always in your forever home. The accomplishment of obtaining any aspect of home ownership is a great achievement and something to be proud of. Persistence, faith and endurance are key on the path to achieving the goal of home ownership. Although opposition may cross our paths, we must have faith and continue to press forward. There is a light on a porch waiting for you, all in God's timing.